As How I Met Met Your Motherheads towards its swan song, TVLine continues to take a look back at — and offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse of — the show’s nine-year run.

In our latest farewell-themed piece, we chatted with Ted’s kids, played by Lyndsy Fonseca (Nikita) and David Henrie (Wizards of Waverly Place), and uncovered seven things you probably never knew about the character’s known simply as “Son” and “Daughter.”

THEY ALMOST STUCK AROUND | During the CBS comedy’s very early days, the kids’ fate was a bit up in the air. “They weren’t sure what they were doing with our characters because they thought it might have been a much bigger role than it turned out to be,” reveals Henrie. “They weren’t sure if they wanted to do any storylines with them. It was sort of a hazy area.… We were, at first, going to negotiate a series-regular contract. As we started to shoot, they were like, ‘We think it’s just going to be these little things at the front of the episodes.’ So it turned into more of a recurring thing.”

DAD READ TO THEM | Though they never appeared on screen with him, Fonseca and Henrie did share some time with their TV father. “Josh [Radnor], in the first season, would be at work that day so he would read the off-camera lines that Bob Saget does,” shares the actress.

THEY CHEATED TIME | Fonseca and Henrie “went back a few times the first season [to shoot scenes] before [David] started going through puberty and all of a sudden became a man. The creators were like, ‘Oh, no. This isn’t good,’” recalls the actress with a laugh. To work around their rapidly growing star, the two young actors shot stock footage to be used in future episodes, including the series finale. “Everyone abandoned the stage, and it was just me, Lyndsy and the two show creators,” remembers Henrie. “We had to sign [non-disclosure agreements] as far as secrecy.” Adds Fonseca: “We signed a confidentiality agreement saying that we would not say who the mother is. They also didn’t know how many years the show was going to go. They filmed the ending of the show then just to have it.”

THEY DON’T REMEMBER THE SECRET – OR DO THEY? | With so much time having passed since they shot that final scene, Fonseca admits, “I don’t even remember what I signed! I don’t even remember what the secret was. David says he kind of does. So it’s been this running joke between the creators and me.” For his part, Henrie says, “I do remember. I think I remember. We’ll see.” So good luck to trying to pry it out of these two – not that people haven’t tried. “My friends and my family are the worst,” adds the actor, “[and] especially people at bars who try to get me drunk to get it out of me.”

THEY HAD A FAMILY REUNION | Coming back to film the hilarious Comic-Con teaser in which Ted’s children let loose on him, “it was like not a day went by, honestly,” says Fonseca. “[Director] Pamela Fryman hugged us like we were still kids. They clapped when we came back on set.” The pair insist they didn’t know what the video was going to be until they got there. “We were handed [the pages] on the day,” reveals Henrie. “Literally, we got the scene five minutes before we went on. It’s so funny. I was wondering that same thing – when they were going to address why our character are so young and not getting any older nine years later.”

THEY MAY REMAIN JUST “SON” AND “DAUGHTER” | Like their Mother, who still doesn’t have a moniker, Ted’s offspring are currently kind of anonymous. While Henrie believes “it’d be nice to have a name,” Fonseca has a different theory on how that subject will – or won’t – be addressed. “I don’t think they’ll ever reveal [their] name[s],” she says. “I kind of like it. It’s cool. These kids are from the future, and there’s something mysterious about them. The whole show is about how they came to be. It’s kind of funny that there’s some mystery to it.”

THE DAUGHTER APPROVES OF MOM | Fonseca – who still counts herself as a fan of the show and regularly watches it – had an “A ha!” moment when she saw the reveal of The Mother in last season’s finale. “I was like, ‘Why does that face…? Why does she look so familiar?’ It was driving me crazy,” she says. “And then my boyfriend reminded me that we had seen her on Broadway doing Once. She was absolutely fantastic. She is incredible. I’m really excited to see her do more on the show. I think it’s a great pick. She’s very talented. I’ve only ever seen her in Once, but I was blown away.”

I thought in season 4 they revealed that the mother was in one classes that he was teaching? I just wish that they would end this series. I lost interest last year and now the show now just seems to ramble on and on and on!!!!!!!!!

If the show ended after one season the mom was going to be Victoria. After that, as far as we know, they didn’t have a plan until it came closer to the end when they started to look for possible mothers and found Cristin Milioti.

Been wanting to see what this super secret scene was for years! I can’t wait to see it. And we better find out the kids’ names (my headcanon is that they’re named Luke and Leia, but I still want to know if it’s canon or not). LOL at people getting David drunk just to get the truth out of him.

Seriously, the way this show has been going.. I think it has been 9 years. lol
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But don’t get me wrong, I’m in it for the long haul and have enjoyed how it has played out. Can’t wait to see the rest of this season.

The creators have already stated that the story Bob Saget is telling the kids really only does last one afternoon – the kids are just supposed to *feel* like it’s been 9 years. How most dads tell stories!

I’ve never entirely understood why the person talking to the kids isn’t Josh Radnor, using a different person to speak the narration is just odd: unless they pull something “artsy” and Saget IS their dad and he’s NOT Ted!

And let’s face it. No one will EVER out-Newhart, Bob Newhart as far as ending twists go(waking up in bed with Susanne Plechette, his wife from his former successful show and then asking her if she ever considered wearing sweaters!)

Well we have to wait and see if the Mother actually LETS him name his children that…my brother often jokes about naming his kids ridiculous things. I just tell him to run that by his girlfriend and he stops!

There are a lot of things in the entire HIMYM story that make me think:

Carter Bays and Craig Thomas said in many Interviews that they will strictly stick to the plan they develeoped nine years ago.
Cobie smulders said in many Interviews that Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have a smart plan and everything is well thougt untill the last detail in HIMYM
The children Lyndsy Fonseca and David Henrie speaking of a “secret” of HIMYM, they are not allowed to tell anybody.

But basically we konow now everything, or at least barney Robin shippers pretent to know everyhing.

Barney merrys Robin
Ted + Mother

and the children (and uns viewers) will get told in the next 22 episodes how this will play out, of course with a lot of fun and a lot difficulties all caracters are facing. So where is “The Secret” ?

But honestly: IS THIS ALL???? Is there no final “Trick” no “Turnarround” no “Oh my god” or “Oh Nooooooooooooo!” No “magic moment”???

I simply dont believe that Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are writing such a “shallow ending” (can you say shallow ending in english? or dou you unterstand this? I looked it up is sort of “mind candy ending”)

Exactly. There ought to be a ‘shocker’ moment. But it can, in no way, be the mother dying like most people are assuming. But then, what else is there? What else could they have planned beforehand in S01 itself, when they just cast Cristin recently??
PS : Barney-Robin and Ted-The Mother are PERFECT!

Personally, I won’t care if the whole thing plays out like the end of Cinderella or something (i.e. we all know its coming). Just to finally see it will be enough for this viewer. It’s a brilliantly well crafted story and the curve ball is the 9th ‘love letter to the fans’ season that goes all Tarantino in it’s delivery. The show is the perfect definition of ‘it’s not about the destination, but the journey’.

First, I ADORE the mother! Plus i also think they shouldn’t have names, the mother-yes, not the kids. Also, the Comic Con promo was not a real thing that happens, as in, we know that the whole of the 9 seasons is narrated in a single day. And no, the mother doesn’t die, or the kids would’ve been more respectful when ted narrates it all. And the dad is Josh not Bob Saget.. It’s just that he sounds like Bob to him, we all sound different than how we think we do :-P
And God i reeeally hope this secret scene is brilliant. And i’m damn sure it’ll be. Consistent and always springing surprises on us, they won’t mess this up.
And yea, i want the getting to know her part by ted be done till the second last episode.. The last scene should be the one where he first met her(lovestory in reverse=himym) and then a black out due to barney’s last slap!
Ok am i rambling!:-D

There’s no way they’re curve balling the mom’s death. They’d have to be sadists, and based on the panels at cons etc, they and the casts are as in love with the characters as anyone else. I give 200-1 odds on the mom being dead.